when can you tell if a turkey is a girl or boy?

[Dahli]

I have owned turkeys for about 5 years but we have always bought them fully grown. Now, I have three chicks. I am stumped as to whether they are males or females. When they are older, it's so simple. I have researched also and it is like a 30% chance that a female will have a beard, so now, even that isn't fool-proofed. Also, I have two out of the three that are battling...almost like play acting for the pecking order and I feared they might be males but I read that even females will do this on occasion. Any suggestions are appreciated. Otherwise, I guess we will wait it out.

 

[WalnutHill]

I have owned turkeys for about 5 years but we have always bought them fully grown. Now, I have three chicks. I am stumped as to whether they are males or females. When they are older, it's so simple. I have researched also and it is like a 30% chance that a female will have a beard, so now, even that isn't fool-proofed. Also, I have two out of the three that are battling...almost like play acting for the pecking order and I feared they might be males but I read that even females will do this on occasion. Any suggestions are appreciated. Otherwise, I guess we will wait it out.

A few crosses are color sex-linked, like Narragansett/Bronze.

A few can be feather sexed.

Toms can start displaying the day after they hatch. The wing drapes and full upright tail are tom indicators, hens spread horizontally.

If you have a large enough population for comparison, toms have a more prominent rear tendon on the shank, giving the appearance of a thicker leg. The spur bud is also more noticeable, and the foot is larger. Hens have dainty legs, the spur bud is just a scale, and the rear tendon is ribbon like.

Hen snood bumps are smaller.

Hen heads are more tapered, tom heads are more boxy.

As they grow, the feathers up the back of the neck are the first thing to go on a jake.

 

[jeyjey]

Hi my question is that I have 4 young b red turkeys there are 4 month old and I when and got a new royal palms about 3 month old and whe I introduce the new ones to my reds the started to pick in the top of the royals hands and chasing them any suggestion in what I need to do also if thats normal or I need to move them

 

[feedman77]

Seperate if you want. But if the reds were all raised together they already have an established pecking order.

When you introduced the palms it threw the order off. That is how they reestablish a new order. Peckung and chasing.

 

[goat boy]

from my experience with wild turkey some females will grow a beard but with the two chicks I picked up I don't know anything about hopefully they're male and female or they get to meat the chopping block

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Cute, at that age, which mine are at too, there is a difference in the weight and heft, the girls I can pick up yet with one hand and the boys require both hands, I have also seen some displaying when they can't see the adults. And as the fuzz falls off the head the hens will keep a line of them up the back.

 

[hyelaw]

I haven't seen any displaying, and I've noticed the weight thing for awhile. My boyfriend swears he heard a gobble today. I'm not home to confirm it, was kind of sad to miss it, like babies first steps. haha

They are both as sweet as can be.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

yeah turkeys are friendly to a fault, I let mine free range, but pen them up, or else they would follow me everywhere. I can do most things without an audience. The first gobbles are very cute and cartoony.

 

[jewels4710]

We bought 6 baby turkeys not long ago. I have already been wondering that. I asked when I bought them but he did not know. If we have both I may keep a pair and try and let them breed. I guess time will tell.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some you can tell earlier and others will keep you guessing, by 5-6 months you should know for sure. What variety did you get?